Double victory in Sao Paulo, but no euphoria: World championship leader Lando Norris is critical—and continues to warn against Max Verstappen
World championship leader Lando Norris is “pretty happy” with his Formula 1 weekend in Brazil. No wonder: he started both races from pole position and won both races. But one thing bothered the McLaren driver: his “great weekend” didn’t go “completely smoothly,” Norris said.
He is particularly irritated by the small lead in the Grand Prix. “In Mexico, we were 30 seconds ahead, and I was happier with the balance there. This time it was only ten seconds, and Max Verstappen was closing in pretty quickly at the end. So our pace wasn’t outstanding,” Norris explained. “And because we set high standards for ourselves, there are a few things for us to analyze.”
He realizes that this could be perceived as “complaining at a high level.” “As a driver, you’re always complaining about something. But overall, we did very well: I was there when it mattered in every session. That’s exactly why I flew to Brazil: I wanted to score the maximum number of points possible. I succeeded in doing that,” said Norris.
However, the McLaren driver does not want to talk about a turning point in the World Championship title fight, even though he has significantly extended his lead over Oscar Piastri and Verstappen. “That’s no reason to get euphoric just yet,” explained Norris. “I’m happy, but we still have a long way to go. I need to keep getting strong results, week after week.”
Norris still has Verstappen on his radar: “I’m sure he’ll be a threat again in the next few races. He always is. He’ll give it his all until the end. And who knows what will happen in the championship? There’s no point in speculating, but at his pace, he probably would have won the Grand Prix if he had started further up the grid.”
“But that’s how it is: things don’t always come together perfectly, and mistakes can happen quickly. We, on the other hand, performed optimally this weekend, and that’s all that matters.”
